Rocky Handsome Movie Review

John Abraham performs these portions convincingly. He’s in beast mode for the bulk of the film, and there’s a strange thrill in watching him dispatch the bad guys systematically. He’s sincere even in the quieter bits with the little girl next door, but eventually let down by the corny dialogue and a script that’s steeped in cliché, right down to the assassin’s tragic back-story.I’m going with a generous two out of five for Rocky Handsome..

Tension, action, emotion... #RockyHandsome chooses a riveting plot, but garnishes it with engrossing drama and stylish action stunningly... Nishikant Kamat blends style and content, maintaining a fine balance between jaw-dropping action & heart-rending emotions.. John Abraham carries #RockyHandsome on his brawny shoulders, essaying a part that fits him like glove. A well-made thriller!

Visit Site for moreRatings:2/5Review By:Anupama Chopra Site:YoutubeVisit Site for moreRatings:2.5/5Review By:Renuka VyvahareSite:Times Of India

Barring the fast-paced fist and knife fights, the movie fails on various grounds. It is a classic case of style over substance. And sadly, it doesn't look stylish either. The Hindi remake of a Korean film struggles to blend action and emotion. Its need to infuse drama kills the thrill of its sleek and ruthless action. Also, the whole patriotic backstory for Kabir further spoils the aura of his mysterious hoodie sporting character. The climax is stretched for way too long.

A drug-mafia infested Goa plus menacing mobsters plus a little girl who goes missing plus​ a ​muscled ​man ​on a​ mission is equal to ‘Rocky Handsome’. What all of it basically comes down to is this: a sculpted John Abraham donning a black singlet–pajamas–​combat ​ cap, walking slo-mo down corridors, beating the c—p out of sundry bad guys. Or ​slashing​ holes into ‘em. Same difference. That is the sole purpose of this film.

Unapologetically gory and visceral, Rocky Handsome revels in relentless violence. But for a film about a 'trained assassin' and his bonding with a hapless child in desperate need of help, it is woefully low on emotional muscle. The result is a slick, stylistically derivative neo-noir thriller that is surprisingly humdrum. Rocky Handsome is strictly for fans of ultra-violent action movies.

An adaptation of the Korean film The Man from Nowhere, this one lacks the visual aesthetics of Sanjay Gupta's remakes. Sure, it labours in furnishing the basics of a Korean film — red lighting, action scenes which test the limits of human tolerance and imagination and also minutely breaks down the functioning of a drug cartel. But a lot is lost in translation and the final result is a film so mindlessly gory that we even forget what triggered it all.

South Korean filmmaking isn't one to hold back on violence. Gore and grace go hand in hand in its nimbly choreographed combats. Rocky Handsome disappoints on that front too. Kamath spends a sweet amount of time building up the hero's arrival on the scene and projection but as soon as it's slaughter time, the camera slips in a crazy rush to document the bloodshed. What survives is limp and spiritless.

Visit Site for moreRatings:3.5/5Review By:BollywoodhungamaSite:Bollywoodhungama

On the whole, ROCKY HANDSOME is for people who like action films. Despite the film having a simple plot, it has been garnished with engrossing drama and action stunningly. One can find the right mix of tension, action, emotion under one roof. A well-made action thriller!

Visit Site for moreRatings:2/5Review By:Rohit VatsSite:Hindustan Times

John Abraham … err … Rocky Handsome is a very average film with some finely executed action sequences on display. But, make no mistake: Don’t expect anything more from this film.

I hate this when critics label an actor as a piece of ‘furniture’ in his said professional work. This is really demeaning and an act of character-assassination of serious intensity, I believe. But then, what adjectives could you use for someone who has precisely and only a couple of expressions to showcase? A rock, if not some furniture? Well, it goes well with the title of the film and also describes the neatly oiled and chiseled body of John Abraham playing the main protagonist in the film. Trust me; he is so unshakeable, unflinching and immovable (for all the wrong reasons) that at some point, you might outburst your patience with ‘bhai, kuch toh acting kar!’ Nishikant Kamat directed ROCKY HANDSOME too, has exactly the same kind of after-effect on its viewers. You are left unshaken, unmoved and cold as a rock, again for all the wrong reasons.

Copied frame to frame from Korean blood-porn THE MAN FROM NOWHERE (2010), ROCKY HANDSOME revolves around a mysterious pawnshop owner [JOHN ABRAHAM] and his unusual bonding with his 7-year old neighbor Nayomi [DIYA CHALWAD]. The tryst of Nayomi’s drug-addict mother [NATHALIA KAUR] with the deadly sharks in the game lands them in an unwanted situation only our mysterious man can get them off from. And then starts a hysterical action adventure having some amazingly choreographed hand-to-hand martial arts combats, knife fights, blood & gore action-sequences and a couple of peppy, foot-tapping, well-shot item numbers! Sounds good? Well, some of it but not entirely. There is always a sense of disbelief floating around throughout the film. It’s like visiting those arty-farty exhibitions where everything looks neat & clean and presentable but you could never make any connections with them as most of it was just an imitation.

I am not sure if the film is an official remake of its Korean original but even then, Kamat known for remaking DRISHYAM in Hindi last year, never actually bothers to use his right side of brain while recreating it. Most of the props used in the film are shamelessly and leisurely gets modeled on the original ones e.g. the noticeable pouch to carry drugs. Kamat’s unimaginative approach is largely overshadowed by stylized action-pieces and a typical cinematography relying always on slow-motion tiger walks in the rain, red-tinted lighting and continuous shots during fights (An impressive one has John running towards a window, jumping on to it, breaking it and making a safe landing on the ground through it…all in one continuous shot). The ear-defying background score is another run-of-the mill tactic Kamat never shows any problem with but I truly wish if the control would have been in viewer’s hands.

ROCKY HANDSOME has a cute looking kid in its major star-cast. Diya is sure a talent to watch out for but the dialogues are so grave and methodical, it doesn’t sync in well with the innocence Diya brings on screen. Kamat himself plays the main villain but could never create any impression with that. Teddy Maurya, despite being a good actor, settles with a regular portrayal of the done-to-death character of a drug-sniffing maniac. Sharad Kelkar owns most of his performance with the right kind of attitude and confidence in him. For John Abraham, read the first para of this article again. There is nothing more to add.

At the end, ROCKY HANDSOME strengthens your believe in ‘the other side of the coin’ theory. For every KAPOOR & SONS and NEERJA, there is always a ROCKY HANDSOME or a ZAJBA. You can call it the balancing-act of Bollywood. Love it, hate it but you can’t ignore its existence. It’s a copy & paste (Ctrl C + Ctrl V) job better left to find a place in your trash bin, soon after watching it if you had already managed to watch! [2/5]